Parallel
by TheRedeemer1995
Summary: When a dark warrior who was long-thought to be dead appears out of nowhere, fighting the darkness with darkness and indicating a noticeable interest in Kairi and Sora, the young heroes and their friends set forth to discover the true identity of this new Vanitas. However, nothing can prepare them for the truth behind this dark, anti-heroic, and somewhat terrifying Keyblade Wielder.
1. Chapter I

_**Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome to my latest Kingdom Hearts creation! The idea for this one simply fell into my head one day, after I was looking up some cover art for a completely different project altogether, and hopefully, it'll be this project that'll far exceed the others I've attempted thus far. Well, let's not waste anymore time, and get this party started already!**_

 _Chapter I: The Man In The Mask_

 _Disney Town-Outskirts_

A shimmering black and purple portal appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Through it emerged what seemed to be a young man in his mid twenties, clad in a black and red metallic suit of body armor that was not dissimilar to the one worn by Riku Hatake while possessed by Xehanort's Heartless, however this red and black version lacked the Heartless symbol on his chest, and his face was concealed by a shining black and silver mask, and it had clawed fingertips and red boots that looked as though they were part of the armor.

Vanitas went a little misty-eyed at the sight of the town in the distance that, in another life, he had once called his home away from home, before it, like so many other worlds before it, fell to darkness. Before they fell to Xehanort's rule. However, he quickly crushed the feeling. There was no time to get sentimental, not if he hoped to turn the darkness unto itself and save this town and the rest of the worlds in this timeline from Xehanort's wrath. Or, at least ensure that they would be saved.

Speaking of darkness, almost as if on cue, a swarm of Dusks from Organization XIII appeared and boxed Vanitas in, each of them swaying and moving in such a manner that it almost appeared as though they were dancing. Vanitas scoffed as he summed his primary Keyblade, the _Void Gear,_ and held it in a long-practiced battle stance.

The entire battle was over in a matter of moments.

" _Useless dogs,"_ muttered Vanitas as he dismissed his Keyblade, his voice disguised by his mask. Vanitas sensed there were more Dusks present elsewhere in the castle town, and that there were a small group of Keyblade Wielders fighting them off. Vanitas let out a gasp as he recognized three of the Keyblade Wielders. He knew them like he knew his own name. With that thought in mind, Vanitas took off in the direction he sensed the Keyblade Wielders were in.

 _Disney Town-Marketplace_

Sora Hikari, a young man of fifteen with spiky brown hair wearing a black, red, and grey outfit with large yellow and black shoes sliced through a Dusk with his Keyblade, the _Kingdom Key_ , causing it to disappear in a flash of light. Fighting alongside him was Riku Hatake, a young man with shoulder-length silver hair, a yellow and black sleeveless shirt, blue jeans, and black and white shoes; The ruler of Disney Town, King Mickey, who was clad in a black and white outfit with large yellow shoes; and Kairi Haruno, a beautiful young woman about the same age as Sora with flaming red hair, a pink outfit, and blue and white shoes, and whom Sora had a crush on.

The four of them had been fighting against a seemingly endless horde of Dusks for what felt like days, even though it had only been for a few hours, and all of them were on their last legs. Finally, the four of them were collapsed on the ground, unable to continue fighting. As a Dusk lunged at Sora, going in for the kill, a black bolt of lightning struck it, causing it to disappear in mid air.

Sora, his comrades, and the Dusks looked around for the caster of the spell, and caught sight of a masked warrior wearing a suit of black and red armor that reminded Sora of the one Riku had worn when he'd been possessed by Ansem.

King Mickey let out a gasp of recognition. "It can't be… he's supposed to be dead…" he said, at a loss for words as the masked warrior summoned his Keyblade and went to work on the Dusks.

"King Mickey, do you know that guy in the mask?" asked Kairi as she used a Mega-Potion to patch everyone up.

"He's called Vanitas. He was the result of Xehanort extracting all of the darkness out of a Keyblade Wielder by the name of Ventus. Xehanort planned to use both him and Ventus to try to reforge the X-Blade, which had been the guardian of Kingdom Hearts until it was shattered. Needless to say, it didn't go as planned," explained Mickey. "Problem is, Vanitas was destroyed years ago."

Riku frowned. "But, if that's the case, then who the Hell is that guy?"

"I haven't slightest idea. It's strange."

"Well, if he's pure darkness like you say he is, I'm taking him down!" said Sora as he pulled himself up off the ground and charged at Vanitas, even as his friends tried to call him back.

Sora took a swing at Vanitas when his back was turned, only for him to vanish into thin air, leaving the teenager confused until he felt a Keyblade alongside his neck.

" _You always did like to leap before you looked,"_ said Vanitas with a small chuckle.

"King Mickey says you were destroyed years ago. How are you still alive?" asked Sora.

" _Because I chose to survive. Tell me, Sora, have you made a play for Kairi yet? Because if you haven't… well, let's just say you'll live to regret it. Trust me, I know, I've seen it,"_ said Vanitas.

Sora growled in anger as he turned around and attempted to strike Vanitas with his Keyblade, only for Vanitas to jump back. "You stay away from Kairi!" Sora snarled.

" _Whoa, sounds like I hit a nerve,"_ Vanitas said with a chuckle as raising his Keyblade as he and Sora began to circle each other. " _Do you honestly think you can beat me, Sora? There's not one move you've got that I don't already know."_

Sora said nothing, but instead swung his Keyblade, which Vanitas countered, then struck Sora with a black fireball, sending the young man flying backwards. Vanitas then summoned a wall of black fire that prevented King Mickey and the others from interfering with his fight against Sora.

Sora got back up and swung his Keyblade at Vanitas, only for each swing to almost lazily be deflected, before Vanitas struck Sora in the chest with a black lightning bolt, knocking the teen off his feet.

" _Come on, surely the_ Kingdom Key's _Chosen One can put up more of a fight than this. You're starting to make me cry,"_ taunted Vanitas.

As Sora pulled himself up, he began to suspect that something was off about this guy. It wasn't just that he knew all of Sora's tricks, though that certainly seemed to be the case. It was almost as if he knew what move Sora was going to do before he even made it.

 _If that's the case, then I need to finish this up quickly,_ thought Sora as he triggered one of his Drives. His outfit turned almost completely red and a second Keyblade appeared in his hand.

Vanitas was not amused. " _Valor Form? Really?"_ he said before an aura of dark energies emanated from him. With a dark flash, the red of Vanitas's armor became much more pronounced and a second Keyblade, known as _Everlasting Torment,_ appeared in his hand.

Sora charged at Vanitas, his Keyblades swinging, only for Vanitas to deflect his attacks and fire a powerful bolt of black lightning that not only sent Sora flying, but rendered him unconscious almost as soon as he hit the ground.

" _Well, that was… unsatisfying,"_ said Vanitas before he dispelled his transformation and opened a portal. " _You've got a long way to go before you're even remotely close to having a chance against Xehanort. And surviving the unbearable sacrifice that will come your way."_

As he entered the portal, Vanitas dispelled the black flame wall, allowing Sora's friends to come to his aid, although it was too late to go after the masked warrior.

"You know… I've never seen Sora so much as lose a Keyblade battle before, let alone get demolished like that," said Kairi as she helped Riku pick up Sora's arms and carry him back to the castle.

"I haven't either, Kairi," said Mickey as he followed Riku and Kairi back to the castle, looking over his shoulder in the direction Vanitas had disappeared in. "There's something off about that Vanitas fella. I don't think he's the same one Ventus and I faced before."

 _Radiant Garden-Maleficent's Abandoned Castle-Private Chambers_

As Vanitas emerged from the portal, he walked over to an old table that held a variety of things, ranging from formulas for potions and poisons, to framed photographs of what seemed to be Sora, Riku, and Kairi, some on their own, others with them together, including one that looked as though Sora was actually getting married to Kairi. All three of them looked as though they were in their late teens, or young adults in their early twenties. There was also a few random ones, such as a teary-eyed Goofy holding his what appeared to be his newborn son.

Vanitas picked up one of Kairi's pictures and stared at it, holding it as though it were an incredibly delicate flower.

" _Everything I have done, what I've become, all of it… it was for you, my love. All so I can prevent you from being taken from me, in any universe, timeline, or dimension. My sweet Kairi…"_ Vanitas whispered, his tears concealed by his mask. " _I just hope the Sora of this dimension succeeds where I failed…"_

With that, Vanitas put down the picture, reached up, and removed his masked, causing his armor to disappear, revealing a black jacket with a dark red shirt underneath, a heart-shaped music box locket around his neck, black pants, and black leather boots. Vanitas then walked over and looked at the tear-soaked, scarred, and cold face in a nearby mirror.

It was the face of Sora Hikari.

 _ **Oooh, things are getting pretty interesting methinks! So, if you liked what you saw here, be sure to fav, follow, and review, and hey, why don't you guys check out my other stories while you're at it?**_


	2. Chapter II

_**Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome back to Parallel. Last chapter got us off to a pretty decent start, and I couldn't be more happy about it. Speaking of the previous chapter, I went back and made a few small edits for the sake of ensuring my plans don't come off too weird or anything like that. In any case, in this chapter, it is my plan to show off a bit more of what Sora/Vanitas is capable of now that he's embraced the darkness within himself. Also, for the design of Maleficent, I'll be going with the live action movie version, the one played by Angelina Jolie, since that version looks awesome. Well, no use babbling, let's begin!**_

 _Chapter II: Vanitas vs Maleficent_

Sora slowly opened his eyes. As his vision cleared, the young man saw that he was in the Disney Castle infirmary. His Keyblade laid against his bedside cabinet while some of his friends were gathered around him.

"Hey, Sora! G'morning!" said Goofy, who was clad in his casual attire, consisting of an orange sweater, a black vest, blue jeans, brown shoes, and a small green hat.

"Hey, Goofy," replied Sora in a sort of tired voice.

"How you feeling?" asked Riku, who was sitting in a chair nearby.

"I'm doing all right," said Sora as he sat up in his bed, and almost instantly felt the urge to throw up.

"Whoa, hey, easy, man. That was a helluva thrashing you had," said Riku, standing up and pushing Sora back down. "You're lucky you're still in one piece, especially if this Vanitas guy is half as bad as King Mickey says."

"Right, right," said Sora as he casted a glance over at his Keyblade. "I actually lost a Keyblade battle, then…"

"Aw, don't beat yourself up over it," said Donald Duck, who was in a hospital bed nearby, clad in a gown and bandages. "You're still a really good swordsman."

"Yeah! One of the best I've ever seen! And I've been in the Royal Guard for a real long time, just like my dad!" said Goofy.

"Thanks, guys," said Sora. "It still really stinks to actually lose, though."

"It's not like it's the first time you've lost a fight. Remember your first fight against Leon in Traverse Town?"

Sora glared angrily at Donald. "Donald, I thought we agreed that was a draw. I passed out from fatigue, after I'd already gotten Leon on his knees," he said. "And besides, this was different. I couldn't even get a single hit on the guy. It was like… it was like he knew what I was going to do before I even did it. Like he knew how I fought like the back of his hand."

"So? It's not like you haven't faced enemies like that before and came out on top. You were probably just tired from fighting those Dusks that the Organization sent, that's all it was. Donald's right, you shouldn't beat yourself up over one loss. That guy in the mask will get his, and you'll give it to him," said Riku.

"Yeah… maybe."

Before anyone else could say anything, a nurse entered and informed Riku and Goofy that visiting hours were over. Riku and Goofy nodded in understanding.

"Take care, all right, Sora? Don't beat yourself up over Vanitas," said Riku as he and Goofy left, leaving Sora alone with his thoughts.

 _Meanwhile, at Maleficent's Abandoned Castle…_

Vanitas was in the middle of preparing himself some dinner out of food that he had stolen from Radiant Garden. In another life, another time, he would never have thought about stealing anything. But, as he had learned time and time again the past few years, sometimes it took doing things that one had once thought unthinkable to protect those he cared about and work for the greater good.

 _Then again, everyone that I ever cared about is dead and buried back in my dimension, along with Sora Hikari,_ thought Vanitas as he continued to make his food, before something caught his eye, glimmering in the evening sunlight. It was a battered diamond wedding ring, one of a pair, the other of which he had given his beloved Kairi on what should've been one of the happiest days of his life.

Vanitas' thoughts began to drift back to what had led up to that day, years ago…

 _Seven Years Earlier…_

 _A twenty-one year old Sora Hikari, clad in a sleek black tuxedo, sat beside Kairi Haruno, who was wearing a beautiful pink dress, on a bench in the main shopping area of the Destiny Islands, munching on some sea-salt ice cream. The two had been dating for a couple of years now and had just had a wonderful, romantic evening, dancing, dining, and now, they were enjoying a beautiful sunset together._

 _Sora for his part, looked extremely nervous for some reason, which Kairi couldn't help but notice._

" _Sora, what's wrong?" asked Kairi._

 _Sora took a massive gulp of air before he spoke. "Babe, do you remember my first adventure? Back when we were kids?"_

" _Only what you told me. What about it?"_

" _There were certain times during my adventure where I saw someone," said Sora._

 _"Oh? And who was this?" asked Kairi._

 _"It was you. Because I had your heart, I saw you everywhere I went. As we began to grow up, and go on more and more adventures, I began to realize the truth. Even though your heart is back where it belongs, I can still feel it inside me. As though they always have, and always will, beat as one," said Sora as he stood up and fished something out of his pocket._

 _Kairi gasped aloud and her eyes began to tear up as she realized what it was: an engagement ring. Sora got down on one knee and uttered those magic words._

" _Kairi Haruno… will you marry me?"_

 _Kairi was practically glowing as she gave her reply. "Yes, Sora Hikari. I will."_

 _Sora beamed as he stood up, put the ring on Kairi's finger, and kissed his new fiance full on the lips._

 _Present Day…_

Vanitas pulled himself out of his memories with a sharp yank. He'd sensed something, a very, very familiar presence. A presence that felt as though it was pure evil incarnate.

 _Maleficent…_ thought Vanitas as he left his incomplete meal to go and get suited up for battle.

 _A Short Time Later…_

A dark shadow roamed the hallways of the castle, with pale white skin and ruby red lips, clad in a skintight black leather bodysuit that exposed the upper part of her chest. was interwoven with light armor, a dark robe that dragged along the floor, and a black head dress that seemed to resemble devil's horns. In her hands she held a staff that had a green orb on the top. This gifted seductress was the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent, who had returned to her old castle in Radiant Garden, following the destruction of her most recent base of operations at the hands of that wretched boy, Sora, and his loathsome friends. Since her initial defeat, the castle had fallen into a state of disrepair in the absence of inhabitants.

And yet, Maleficent sensed that she was not alone in this castle. There was someone else here, someone who walked the ever-so-thin line between the light and the darkness. Someone who had embraced their darkness, certainly, but had not allowed it to consume them completely.

 _No matter. I'll deal with this trespasser once I've found him. Then, he or she will know the meaning of fear,_ thought Maleficent.

" _You know, you're trespassing on my grounds. And I don't like it when people trespass on my grounds."_

Maleficent wheeled around to face the voice that had spoken, and found that a masked warrior that seemed somewhat familiar was standing directly behind her with what was unmistakably a Keyblade in his hand. "Trespassing? I? You're the one who's trespassing in my castle. Now begone from this place!" snarled Maleficent.

Vanitas chuckled. " _Finders keepers, Maleficent. This castle has been abandoned for quite some time now, has it not? So, I suggest YOU get out of MY castle or so help me I will put you down."_

Maleficent laughed, a cold, sharp, and cruel sound. "You honestly believe you can defeat me?! Me, the Mistress of All Evil?!" she said.

" _I believe in myself, and that's enough,"_ replied Vanitas, cool and slick as anything, knowing the battle was only seconds away.

Maleficent scoffed. "Very well, then. I gave you the chance to end this peacefully and walk away, but it seems you insist on defying me. A mistake that shall be your last!"

With that, Maleficent transformed into a swirling vortex of energy that somehow seemed to resemble a galaxy for some reason and charged at Vanitas, who simply waited until the right moment and teleported out of the way of the attack before following up with one of his own.

" _Dark Firaga!"_ cried Vanitas, aiming the _Void Gear_ at Maleficent once she reformed, catching the sorceress off guard and sending her to the ground with a massive black fireball.

"You dare use the darkness against me?!" snarled Maleficent as she untangled herself from her robe, which now lay on the ground, allowing her less restricted movement.

 _Wow. This version of Maleficent is actually kinda hot, compared to that green-skinned hag back home,_ thought Vanitas, before he spoke aloud. " _Indeed I do."_

"Very well, then. If that's how you want to play it, then I needn't hold back with you," said Maleficent, twirling her staff before she raised it to the heavens. "Meteors of heaven! Unleash thy fury!"

As Maleficent uttered the incantation, a large, starry portal appeared behind her, and from it emerged massive, glowing blue orbs. With the skill and grace born from his Keyblade training, Vanitas was able to avoid each of the orbs as they flew out of the portal. Once the attack had ceased, Vanitas cried, " _Command Style: Black Firestorm!"_

His body and Keyblade engulfed in a black aura of flames, Vanitas charged at Maleficent and slashed away on her, causing the dark sorceress to cry out in pain, something that she was very unfamiliar with experiencing herself. Once Vanitas felt the all-consuming burning feeling with in him reach its peak, the masked warrior cried, " _Command Style: Black Fire Finisher!"_

On the dark warrior's command, a jet of black flames shot from the tip of the _Void Gear,_ setting Maleficent on fire. However, she was able to use her magic to douse the flames before raising her staff and crying, "The fool who fights me, strike him down!"

On her command, several storm clouds appeared over Vanitas, who waited until just the right moment, before dodging the first bolt of lightning, followed swiftly by the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth. Once the storm clouds had faded away, Vanitas took aim at Maleficent and cried, " _Dark Thundaga!"_

Several massive bolts of black lightning struck Maleficent, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying into a nearby suit of armor, destroying it. As she pulled herself up, Maleficent quickly realized that she stood no chance at defeating this warrior that stood before her. Casting a scathing look at Vanitas, Maleficent summoned a dark portal leading to who-knew-where and made a beeline for it.

Until, that is, Vanitas raised his Keyblade and cried " _Stop!"_

Maleficent was frozen in her tracks as the portal before her faded away. The next thing she knew, she was pelted by a swarm of black fireballs that had been fired from Vanitas' Keyblade, knocking her off her feet and sending her staff flying from her hands. Before she could do anything about it, Vanitas had her pinned down, the business end of his Keyblade pointed right between her eyes.

" _So, here's how this is going to work, Maleficent. Unless you want me to take a little off the top, you're gonna help me find Xehanort and anyone else who remains of Organization XIII so I can send them off to Hell for what they did to me. Do we have a deal?"_

 _ **And thus concludes Chapter Two! I hope I did a decent enough job for you guys. But, if you haven't already, why not drop a fave, follow, and review? And, if you like what you see here, why not check out my other projects?**_


	3. Chapter III

_**Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome back to Parallel! Last chapter surpassed my expectations once again, so that's all the more reason to keep this gravy train a-rolling!**_

 _Chapter III: The Hunt Begins_

Sora, Riku, and Kairi entered the audience chamber of King Mickey's castle. Sora had been given the okay to leave the ward, now that he was properly healed. King Mickey paced back and forth in front of his throne, a worried look on his face.

"You asked for us, King Mickey?" Kairi asked.

"Indeed I did. It's about this new Vanitas fella. I've sought Yen Sid's council on the matter and he says he's detected some kinda dimensional rift, like somebody from another dimension popped over into ours," explained Mickey.

"So, you're saying this Vanitas hails from another dimension. Do you think he's some kinda scout for some bad guy who's grown too big for his britches?" asked Riku.

Mickey shook his head. "I don't think so. From what Yen Sid's told me, this new Vanitas may actually be caught between the light and the dark, as though he had once been a powerful Guardian of the Light who somehow, in some way, allowed the darkness to take ahold of him," the mouse said.

"We sure this guy's not another Riku Replica?" Sora joked with a smile toward Riku as Kairi snickered.

Riku couldn't help but smile. "Could be me from another dimension. Outfit looks like that stupid purple one I wore when the darkness got the better of me," he said.

"Regardless of the true identity of this new Vanitas, you three, Donald, and Goofy are to set out immediately, find him, and convince him to return to the castle. Peacefully, if possible. If he's actually got light inside of him, then there might be a way to purge the darkness from him before it takes any further room in his heart," said Mickey, the utmost seriousness in his voice.

"Where should we start?" asked Kairi.

Before Mickey could respond, a balloon letter floated down in front of Mickey. The mouse king took the note and read it quickly. "Leon has sent word of food and other supplies being stolen around Radient Garden by what seems to be a black and red blur. I'm willing to bet that's where you'll find Vanitas."

"Got it," said Sora while Riku and Kairi nodded.

Their discussion over, Sora, Riku, and Kairi departed, leaving King Mickey alone with his thoughts.

 _What could possibly drive someone with such a strong light so deep into the darkness like that?_ the mouse king thought as he watched Sora, Riku, and Kairi depart.

 _Radient Garden-Maleficent's Abandoned Castle-Throne Room_

"I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea where Xehanort and his Organization XIII are hiding," said Maleficent as she entered the throne room, Vanitas, his helmet removed and under his arm, following close behind. "I don't even know what they are planning, apart from it involving some sort Keyblade-"

Vanitas let out a frustrated groan. _I should've known that's what Xehanort was up to,_ he thought before he spoke aloud. "It's not a Keyblade like I have, or even the ones Riku, Kairi, and the Sora of this dimension have. He's planning to put the X-Blade back together to try to access Kingdom Hearts, and essentially become omnipotent. And I can't let that happen," said Vanitas.

"Oh? And what, praytell, is the difference between this X-Blade and a Keyblade?" asked Maleficent, her interest piqued.

Vanitas knew Maleficent all too well to know what she was thinking. "All you need to know is that if Xehanort reassembles it, he will plunge all worlds into darkness for eternity. And trust me, the worlds under Xehanort's darkness, is much, much worse the worlds under your darkness," said Vanitas. _Good thing I know where the thirteen pieces of darkness are… I hope,_ he added in his mind as he created a portal out of Radient Garden.

As Vanitas donned his helmet and armor and started to make his way towards the portal, Maleficent spoke. "It's a rather curious thing. I'd thought that fool Hades would freeze to death before you turned to the darkness, Sora."

Vanitas stopped in his tracks. " _You'd be surprised what the pain from losing the things they can't live without can do to someone. Even me. And another thing, Maleficent? Don't call me Sora. He died with his newlywed wife and unborn child because he was too weak and foolish to save them."_

Maleficent gave Vanitas a look that seemed to suggest that what the masked warrior had said intrigued her. His scowl hidden behind his mask, Vanitas entered the portal, which closed behind him.

 _Seven Years Earlier…_

 _Sora entered the master bedroom of the condo he and Kairi now shared that they were to be married. Kairi was there waiting for him, an expression that suggested there was something troubling her greatly._

" _Kai, babe, what's wrong?" asked Sora as he sat down on the bed beside his fiance._

" _Sora… there's something I need to tell you. You know how I've been feeling sick and throwing up lately?" Kairi asked Sora._

" _Yeah? What about it?"_

" _Well, I went to the doctor today, and… he told me it was morning sickness."_

 _Two and two began to form in Sora's mind at this information. "Morning sickness? You mean…?"_

 _Kairi broke into a huge smile. "Sora, you're going to be a father! I'm pregnant!"_

 _Now it was Sora's turn to grin and laugh. He couldn't believe it. Things just seemed to keep getting better and better for him. For now, not only was he getting married to the girl of his dreams, the woman to who his heart belonged to, but she was also pregnant with his baby! Sora hugged his fiance and kissed her, before moving his hand to her stomach, where his son or daughter was being developed._

 _Daughter… yes, Sora quite liked the sound of that. "Kairi? Can you do me a favor?"_

" _What?" asked Kairi._

" _Give me a daughter that looks just like you."_

 _Kairi couldn't help but smile. "I'll see what I can do. No promises."_

 _ **Sorry for the short chapter. Yeah, couldn't help myself to adding another tragedy onto the pile. After all, as a wise man once said, all it takes is one bad day to drive the sanest man alive to lunacy. Or, in this case, to the darkness. In any case, why not drop a fave, follow, and review on this bad boy if you haven't done so already?**_


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